


Confessions at the Lunch Counter

by singersdd



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-05
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-01-22 03:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1573613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singersdd/pseuds/singersdd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma is forced to some realizations about her plan to move back to New York. Includes original character Thumbelina.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me and wouldn't go away until I'd written it out. One of the fairy tale characters we haven't seen yet is Thumbelina, so she seemed like a good one to add to Storybrooke. It will probably get canon-balled by the season finale. But Emma and Henry are not moving back to New York.

“Emma, wait. What??” Lina asked in confusion. Lina was the newest waitress at Granny's, barely five feet tall, and had been known as Thumbelina in the Enchanted Forest. She and Emma had struck up a friendship during Lina's first shift at Granny's.

“I'm taking Henry and we're going back to New York,” Emma declared.

“Does Henry know this yet?” Lina asked, skeptical that this idea was going to fly further than a brick.

“It doesn't matter. I'm his mother, and we're going back to New York.”

“Emma, he just remembered his entire life before that year in New York. He just reconnected with Regina. Are you sure this is gonna fly?”

“Why wouldn't it?”

“Legally, isn't Regina his mother? Do you think she's going to let Henry go back to New York without an argument?”

That gave Emma pause, while Lina ran to refill Leroy's coffee cup. And Doc's. And Sleepy's. And Bashful's. When Lina finally made it back to the counter and Emma, Emma said, “I hadn't thought of that.”

“Why do you really want to leave Storybrooke, Emma? Your parents are here, Henry's history is here, your new baby brother is here. What's so great about New York?”

“We had a great life there,” Emma rebutted. “Henry was in a good school, things were going well for us.” Emma sounded a little defensive. 

Lina had to run take an order from Rumplestilskin and Belle. Once the order was in, she came back to the counter and Emma again. “Was that life real?” Lina asked. “Think about it, Emma. Everything you thought you remembered about your life was a spell that Regina cast, to give you and Henry your best chance outside Storybrooke, remember?”

Before Emma could reply, the order was ready for Rumplestilskin and Belle - and Granny did not want orders to sit on the counter for more than thirty seconds. Lina delivered the order, refilled drinks, took another order, and fended off Leroy's advances. 

“Everybody came back, Emma. Why do you want to move away from all of us? Are you afraid of something?”

Emma really looked defensive at that. “No, I'm not afraid of anything,” she said. 

“Hey, Lina!” Leroy called. “Where's the coffee!?”

“In your lap if you don't keep a civil tongue in your head,” Lina shot back, as she took the coffee pot over to the dwarfs' table. The rest of the dwarfs laughed at the exchange. As Lina went back to the lunch counter, a thought occurred to her, but another order was ready before she could mention it to Emma. Order delivered, more coffee for the dwarfs (how much more coffee could they drink??), more iced tea for Belle, and Lina finally made it back to the lunch counter. 

“Emma, are you afraid of Killian?” Lina asked gently and quietly, in hopes that the dwarfs wouldn't overhear. Leroy was already known to be the fastest method of communication in Storybrooke, and the other dwarfs weren't far behind him. Keeping secrets was not their strong suit.

“No, I'm not afraid of Killian!” Emma shot back in a whisper. “Why would I be??”

Lina looked at her incredulously. “Because he's in love with you.”

Emma blushed, started, and shook her head in denial. “No he isn't! What makes you think that??”

Lina shot her another incredulous look. “Emma, I'm pretty sure he traded his ship for a way to get to you in New York. He gave up his ship for you, Emma. If that isn't love for a pirate, I don't know what is. When anybody needs to find him, they look for you because he's sure to be close at hand – just in case you need him.” 

Emma looked abashed at this. “But, Lina, I don't want a man in love with me! Love is complicated! Love is . . .” She trailed off.

“Scary?” Lina suggested. Emma looked a little embarrassed to have to admit that she was afraid of love, when she'd just said she wasn't afraid of anything. “Nobody is going to blame you for being afraid of being happy. You've had too many people let you down not to be scared of letting someone in. But Em, everybody here loves you. Nobody here is going to let you down without putting up a fight first.”

Emma looked defensive, but Lina went on. “You can keep that foster kid wall up if you want, but it's just going to keep people out and keep you from being truly happy.” Before Emma could reply, another order was up for Lina to deliver. And the dwarfs wanted more coffee. Again. 

When Lina got back, Emma said, “The idea of happiness, Li . . .”

“Yeah, I know. It's a risk. Happiness is a risk. I read somewhere that if you're not a little scared, you're not doing it right. Be brave, Emma. Don't run back to the life you thought you knew. Stay here. Let Killian in. I don't think he's going to let you down.” 

As if it had been scripted, Killian Jones walked in the door. Lina chuckled to see the contemplative, “maybe I should try,” look on Emma's face echoed in the hopeful look on the pirate's face, as she took the dwarfs yet more coffee.


	2. Oh, Dear. . .

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which the fall-out of the season finale is discussed in Granny's Diner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the season finale, there had to be another confession at the lunch counter. It could have gone about three different ways. This way seemed the most likely. There may be more added to the story later, as the muse demands.

Chapter 2

Regina stormed out of the diner. . . well, as much as one can storm out of anywhere while trying not to cry. Emma turned toward the lunch counter with a look of absolute panic on her face.

“Oh, no! Oh, no! What have I done?!!?” she moaned to herself.

Lina got to her before Killian did: “Emma, it'll be all right. You can't blame yourself for an act of kindness.”

“She's right, love,” Killian said from Emma's other side. 

“It isn't your fault,” Lina reassured both of them. 

On the other side of the diner, the reunion of Marian with Robin and Roland – especially Roland – was a wonderful thing to see. But. . . 

“Poor Regina,” Emma muttered. 

“Yeah,” Lina agreed. She stood and thought for a minute. Leroy interrupted her thoughts before she could think aloud to Emma. 

“Hey, Lina, got any coffee?”

Lina came back to earth and said, “Yeah, sure, Leroy.”

As Lina went around with the coffee pot, Killian said to Emma, “I think the dwarf may have a thing for the waitress.”

Emma looked at Leroy and Lina, then said, “Yeah, but I don't think it goes the other way.” 

Lina stopped for a peek at baby Neal, made appropriate, “what a cute baby,” noises to the Charmings, came back to the counter, started another pot of coffee, then said to Emma. “Em, you may have actually done Regina a favor.”

“What's that?” Killian asked, hoping for any bright spot in the mess.

“Think about it: Everybody thought Marian was dead, and Regina killed her . .”

“Yeah, so?” Emma asked.

“Well. . . think about it. . . Regina's heart hurts right now, but she'll never have to tell Roland that she killed his mother,” Lina said slowly. The light of realization and hope dawned on Emma's and Killian's faces. “Robin will never discover that Regina murdered his wife.”

“That would be enough to break up anybody,” Emma said. 

“Yeah,” said Lina. “She won't want to hear it right now – not for a few days, even – but keep it in your back pocket: You saved her from having another murder on her hands.” 

“Are you sure she's going to want to hear that at any time?” Killian asked.

“Eventually, yeah,” Emma said. “She's changed a lot since Henry brought me to Storybrooke. She doesn't want to go back to the person she was then.”

Lina chimed in, “Regina wants Henry to believe in her goodness. She'll come around to see that as messy as it is right now, you really did her a favor.”

Henry came up right then and said, “Mom?” Emma turned and looked at him. He was turning from little boy to young man so quickly. “Is it okay if I go to Mom's house tonight?” Henry's request would have confused outsiders, but everyone listening knew that Henry realized Regina needed him right now.

“Sure, kid,” she said, hugging him tightly before we left.

“If anyone can calm Regina right now, it's the boy,” Killian said. 

Lina hummed in agreement, then said, “Henry! Before you go, come talk to me for a second, please.” 

Henry agreeably turned around and walked over to the counter and Lina. “Listen, pal, your mom won't want to hear it right now, but later, point out to her that your mom and Killian have really done her a favor.”

Henry looked confused and asked, “How so?”

“She'll never have to admit to Robin and Roland that she was responsible for Marian's death now.”

Realization arose on Henry's face. “I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.” Henry hugged Emma again with a quick, “It'll be okay, Mom,” and jogged out the door of the diner toward Regina's house. 

The party mood had been obliterated by the revelation that Marian of Locksley was alive, and everyone there drifted home in couples and small groups. The Charmings were the first to leave, as baby Neal decided it was high time to be unhappy away from home and his bed. Emma and Killian left by the back door, toward the rooms in Granny's bed-and-breakfast. The dwarfs left in a group, but Leroy stayed behind, unnoticed by Lina. Everyone else drifted toward home, leaving Granny and Ruby in the kitchen, cleaning up, and Lina in the dining area to collect the last of the dishes and coffee cups and sweep the floor. 

Lina looked up and saw Leroy sitting in his booth, still nursing his last cup of coffee. “Leroy, that's the last of the coffee. It's time to pack it in.” 

“I know. I wanted to make sure you were safe while you cleaned up,” Leroy said shyly. 

Lina smiled. “Thank you, Leroy, but between Granny's crossbow and Ruby's wolfish ways, I don't think I'm in much danger.” Lina watched the stubborn set into Leroy's face.

“Still, I'll stay till you're done and make sure you get home safe.” 

Lina sighed inwardly and decided it wasn't a battle she wanted to fight tonight. “All right. Thank you.  
Cleaning up the diner didn't take much longer after all the customers had gone. 

Leroy still insisted on walking Lina to her apartment door and acted the proper gentleman the entire way. They talked about all the happenings at the coronation party, what they thought of baby Neal's name, and the big surprise at the end.

When they got to Lina's door, she said, “Thank you, Leroy. It was nice having someone to talk to on the way home.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. The thought occurred to her that he was a sweet grump. 

If it hadn't been dark, Lina would have seen Leroy blush. “It was my pleasure,” he said. 

They exchanged good nights, but Leroy didn't leave Lina's doorstep until she had the door closed and locked.


End file.
